## Description

_Exordium_ is the first episode of Republique, a crowd funded stealth game
released in episodic format. It is set in unnamed totalitarian state. The
protagonist, a girl called Hope, is a Pre-Cal, someone who was born and raised
in a facility that acts as a micronation and where the entire game takes
place. Hope’s facility is called Metamorphosis and it is led by the Overseer
called Kenichiro Treglazov and his soldiers called the Prizrak. The location
is used to perform experiments on the Pre-Cals, who grow up there and have
never seen the outside world. The player does not control Hope directly, but
instead she contacts the player through her phone. She asks for help because a
defaced manifesto was found in her room and many people believe she now needs
to be “re-calibrated”, which will erase her personality. She wants to escape
and since the totalitarian state is modeled after George Orwell’s _1984_ the
place is swamped with cameras the player can take over to follow and help
Hope. You can quickly hop between different cameras, tamper with security
devices, lock or unlock doors, provide distractions and so on. Contrary to a
game like The Experiment Hope is aware of the player’s presence and often
communicates, even though it is not possible to speak to her directly. You
receive assistance from Frederick Cooper, someone who works in the facility
and only communicates through a phone as well, using text to speech. Other
important characters are Hope’s caretaker Mireille Prideaux and the deceased
revolutionary Daniel Markus Zager who has left behind audio logs scattered
around the facility.

The game was designed for mobile devices as the primary platform and
everything is controlled through touch. Through Hope’s phone the player can
access almost any electrical device in the network. Cameras appear as eyes on
the screen and it is possible to quickly move between them, scouting ahead and
even in places beyond walls Hope cannot access yet. Once controlling a camera
it is possible to rotate and zoom. From this position you can tap to steer
Hope in a certain direction. The icon changes colour to show if she walks
regularly, seeks cover or makes too much noise and can attract guards. The
Prizrak can be temporarily disabled using P-Zero pepper spray or for a longer
time using a taser, but both come in a limited supply and guards eventually
wake up again as there are no lethal means. When alerted if often takes a
while before they resume their regular patrols. There is no health system and
if Hope is captured the game is not over; she is locked up again, but the
player can always free her once more with the only downside that all
contraband items need to be recovered, from the Prizrak who discovered her,
using a pickpocketing mechanic.

At any time OMNI View can be activated, which pauses the game and launches a
hacking interface as an overlay. Characters are highlighted as well as items
that can be interacted with. From the interface a map of the facility can be
accessed, Hope can be located, all collected data and contraband can be
browsed and items can be checked in the inventory. Because of the limited
signal of the phone the player cannot hop through the facility without Hope
nearby. When moving too far from Hope, the signal becomes weak and it is not
possible to progress. Using OMNI View different types of items can be examined
or gathered, such as the personal information of the Prizrak, tutorial
posters, newspapers and general intel. Using abilities acquired later on it is
also possible to hack and listen to voice messages, read e-mail, use voice and
fingerprint scans, lock and unlock doors, set off electrical devices as
distractions, disable lasers, and so on. This is also used to find out about
hidden locations or pin codes. Hope can also be directed to pickpocket guards
to receive more pepper spray or collectible items. These can often be found in
the environment as well and include Atari-like game cartridges advertising
other mobile games, a selection of banned, subversive books and tapes left
behind by the revolutionary Zager that can only be played in a specific
location. When using OMNI View items are colour coded, with green for
collectible items, yellow for intel, a different green for cameras, red for
doors and so on. Single-use screwdrivers can be used to get through events.
Sometimes there are small puzzle-solving elements, often based on interpreting
clues.

The game focuses entirely on stealth as there is no combat; Hope can only
defend herself briefly using a taser or pepper spray. She can sneak around,
use cover, hide in lockers or bushes, and so on. The advanced hacking
techniques however drain her phone’s battery. The player can only use them now
and then as often recharge points need to be found. Basic actions such as
switching between cameras or opening basic doors do not reduce the battery.
Replacement batteries can be carried along for a single use as items in an
inventory. The game also has Metroidvania elements based on certain abilities
and the version of the OMNI software. Intel can be traded with a Data Broker
by scanning them at specific computers. Credits are provided in return, used
to unlock abilities such as hacking e-mails and voicemail, hacking guards to
briefly see their patrol routes, pinging guards to see them on the map and
distracting guards by hacking devices, such as turning on an alarm clock or
starting a coffee machine. Backtracking is often possible to use new abilities
in previous locations. The same goes for the level of the OMNI software that
has a maximum of 1 in this episode. There are however many doors and lockers
that have level 2, 3, 4 or 5, meaning they can only be opened by revisiting
them in later episodes when the software has been upgraded. The later episodes
always offer a way back to the previous locations and at the end of the first
episode there is a checkpoint to continue exploring at any time.

After purchasing the first episode, the remaining ones can be bought as in-app
purchases or in a single season pass. The latter is offered at a lower price
and also contains developer commentary through videos.

République: Episode 1 – Exordium